About the recent developments in Ukraine as Mr. Yanukovich left the parliement the american directly or indirectly armed thugs seem to be winning unlike the case in Syria.

There seems to be a provocation issue here in my opinion to force Russia to protect Russian strategic interests like military bases and previous influence on Ukraine to use force. There can be more provacations to do that.

The reason might be simple. the utter defeat in Syria can be reversed. Such as if Russia attacks Ukraine even in a small scale conflict that does not take place in Ukranian soil, america may start the air campaign over Syria and say you do it so there is nothing to stop me from doing what I want in Syria. Then can offer lets swap Ukraine will be yours and Syria will be ours.

Just a possible outcome of a military action over Ukraine. In my opinion if Russia keeps calm and keep control the american curtain of lies will surely leave as usual. There seems to be considerable support for Mr. Yanukovich as well. There also seems to be enough evidence that this is an american backed coup.If provocations are handled with calm and these issues are raised and used effectively the situation can be reversed.

-If you have faith and put resistance-hard work to it like defending your people or finding a scientific breakthrough then you channel down blessings the more you put resistance-work. If they believe in lies and covering truth then they put resistance for it work for it and cover truth by darkness and lies. The choice is given to us and thus the responsibility.

- Everything is from Allah. There is no other source of power and all causes are from Allah. This way you don't fall into theist or pantheist fatalism immobilising you.

- Submission, acceptance, let go of the roadblocks that we are sticking to the ego,fears,doubts etc.
We are in a constant war with our nefsh and eventualy we will experience death, the ego what we attach to will inevitably be gone whether we want it or not so do not stick to any result within this process.

- In this process desire everything but dependent on nothing without attaching to any cause but Allah. Everything becomes a tool a window for you. One who loves Allah loves everything from Allah. One who desires Allah desires everything from Allah.

- Take action, resist and be a wider channel for the 99 Forces of Allah. Ibadah is all your life process not snapshots of when you do Salat or dzikhr.
Gradually the false consciousness,the lies will melt away and Truth remains. You will experience what you do is from Allah. Then InshAllah you won't feel alone and disconnected.

If you can be selfless there can be wholeness in your conscioussness. If you can handle the internal battle which is the most important then you remove the blocks within the mind and your mind becomes like a channel. You can crush egos, smash idols, reveal the Truth, always transform and improve. Everything becomes possible. Most importantly it is the ego and lies that we are up against and at the essence the aim is to understand and live fully with the conscioussness of there are no many powers, sources of power like ego or images, only Allah. This fact in turn leads us to the point that it is those lies that makes us and the opponent seperate and prior aim should be on changing the opponent without using violence unless it is inevitable.

The U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity about internal deliberations, declined to provide numbers or specific locations of Russian deployments. Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador, Yuriy Sergeyev told the Security Council that there had been an “illegal crossing [of] the borders by Russian military transport aircraft IL-76, about 10 of them, and that 11 military attack helicopters had also violated Ukrainian air space.

The administration official said options being considered by the United States and its European partners if the Russians do not pull back included cancelling attendance at the June G8 summit to be held in Sochi, site of the recently-completed winter Olympics, and rejecting Russian overtures for deepening trade and commercial ties. The official also cited an indirect impact on the value of the ruble.

There was no overt discussion of a Western military response. Asked what Ukraine wanted the international community to do, Sergeyev told reporters after the Security Council meeting that “we want you to help us bring the truth around the world...Political support--do everything possible in insurance of preventive diplomacy. Still we have a chance to stop the negative developments...with strong voice around the world.”

The Council decided to send a mediator to Ukraine, and indicated it may hold further meetings.

Russia did not respond directly to charges of new troop movements, saying only that any action it was taking was within the confines of existing Russia-Ukraine agreements to protect Russia’s Crimean naval base at Sevastapol.

“As you know, we have an agreement with Ukraine on the presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” said Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s U.N. ambassador. “We are acting within the framework of that agreement.”

Churkin, speaking to reporters, charged unnamed outsiders with provoking violence in Ukraine by recognizing the new government instead of allowing the “proper political process” to resolve the crisis there.

He said that those who had taken over control had violated an agreement reached on Feb. 21 after consultations with the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland that would have allowed subsequently ousted President Viktor Yanukovych to stay in office until the end of the year.

Yanukovych fled that same night after threats that opposition forces “would be storming the presidential residence unless he resigns by 10 o’clock,” Churkin said.

Asked whether Moscow had sent military forces into Crimea, Churkin said “I don’t have this specific information. I recall from history that when World War I started, some ... papers reported that they saw Cossacks at the train station. Those reports, they are not always true.”

SIMFEROPOL, March 1 (RIA Novosti) – The Crimean Prime Minister said Saturday that Russian troops are operating on the Ukrainian peninsula and made a personal appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin for more assistance.

The Kremlin said in a subsequent statement that it would not ignore the request for help.

Sergei Aksyonov, who was appointed prime minister after a parliamentary vote Thursday, said that an agreement was in place with Russia’s Black Sea Fleet for Russian soldiers to perform guard duties at strategic locations.

“We have established cooperation with the Black Sea Fleet to protect vitally important sites,” Aksyonov said during a Cabinet meeting.

There have been widespread reports of significant Russian military activity, including the movement of tanks, troops and helicopters, across the Crimea in recent days. But Russia has insisted that all the movements are allowed within the framework of a 1997 agreement with Ukraine about the use of naval bases.

“I am turning to Russian President Vladimir Putin to request assistance to preserve peace and calm,” said Aksyonov, who is the leader of Ukraine’s Russian Unity Party.

Aksyonov also announced that a referendum on the status of Crimea within Ukraine will be brought forward by almost two months, to March 30, and said that local security forces including the police and the army - which are usually commanded from Kiev - will be brought under his control.

The developments in Crimea appear to bring closer a possible partition of the former Soviet nation where a new government is struggling to control the country after the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych last week.

Putin has made no public comment on the current Ukrainian crisis since the opposition swept to power after months of street protests ended in a violent crackdown in which 82 people died.

Armed men in balaclavas have occupied key public buildings in Crimea in recent days and appeared to have taken control of the region’s two main airports. The Crimean parliament was seized Thursday by armed men who raised the Russian flag.

One of Ukraine’s largest telecommunications companies said in a statement Friday that telephone and internet links between Crimea and the rest of the country had been severed.

The incoming authorities in Kiev have described developments in Crimea as an invasion, and interim president Oleksandr Turchynov told reporters late Friday that Russia was seeking to provoke conflict.

Russia has recently moved about 6,000 additional troops into Crimea, Ukraine's defense minister said Saturday, according to report by Reuters news agency.

Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian Republic by the Soviet leadership in 1954. Since the fall of Communism it has enjoyed a large degree of political autonomy within Ukraine, including its own prime minister.

About 60 percent of the population in Crimea identifies itself as ethnic Russian, with the remainder being Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar.

Pro-Russian groups and Tatars, who mostly support the new regime in Kiev, clashed outside the Crimean parliament Thursday during a confrontation in which at least two people died.

Even if Russia increased military presence by adding more troops in Crimea to protect interests and minorities against american armed thugs it is done according to the previous agreements,regional authorities approval and without firing a single bullet so it is not an invasion unlike the american invasions with everything they got including wmds(depleted uranium,phosphorus) based on fake evidence and media propaganda to pump the lies to the mass. No matter how hard the media and their politicians tell that it is an invasion it is nothing more than increasing precautions within regulations to protect interests from armed thugs. Ukraine also showed that when you make agreements with illegitimate amrican etc. backed terrorists and move one inch behind giving them concessions they use it to gain legitimacy and international acceptance and attack harder with more financial and propaganda support from those foreign backers. Hopefully the improvements will be another blow bringing the end of american nato proxy wars in the region.

-If you have faith and put resistance-hard work to it like defending your people or finding a scientific breakthrough then you channel down blessings the more you put resistance-work. If they believe in lies and covering truth then they put resistance for it work for it and cover truth by darkness and lies. The choice is given to us and thus the responsibility.

- Everything is from Allah. There is no other source of power and all causes are from Allah. This way you don't fall into theist or pantheist fatalism immobilising you.

- Submission, acceptance, let go of the roadblocks that we are sticking to the ego,fears,doubts etc.
We are in a constant war with our nefsh and eventualy we will experience death, the ego what we attach to will inevitably be gone whether we want it or not so do not stick to any result within this process.

- In this process desire everything but dependent on nothing without attaching to any cause but Allah. Everything becomes a tool a window for you. One who loves Allah loves everything from Allah. One who desires Allah desires everything from Allah.

- Take action, resist and be a wider channel for the 99 Forces of Allah. Ibadah is all your life process not snapshots of when you do Salat or dzikhr.
Gradually the false consciousness,the lies will melt away and Truth remains. You will experience what you do is from Allah. Then InshAllah you won't feel alone and disconnected.

If you can be selfless there can be wholeness in your conscioussness. If you can handle the internal battle which is the most important then you remove the blocks within the mind and your mind becomes like a channel. You can crush egos, smash idols, reveal the Truth, always transform and improve. Everything becomes possible. Most importantly it is the ego and lies that we are up against and at the essence the aim is to understand and live fully with the conscioussness of there are no many powers, sources of power like ego or images, only Allah. This fact in turn leads us to the point that it is those lies that makes us and the opponent seperate and prior aim should be on changing the opponent without using violence unless it is inevitable.

Ukraine’s Navy flagship, the Hetman Sahaidachny frigate, has reportedly refused to follow orders from Kiev, and come over to Russia’s side and is returning home after taking part in NATO operation in the Gulf of Aden flying the Russian naval flag.

There has been conflicting information on where exactly the vessel is, but a Russian senator has confirmed to Izvestia daily that the frigate defected to the Russian side.

“Ukraine’s Navy flagship the Hetman Sahaidachny has come over to our side today. It has hung out the St Andrew’s flag,” Senator Igor Morozov, a member of the committee on the international affairs, told Izvestia daily.

He said the flagship is on its way back to the Black Sea after drills in the Mediterranean. “The crew has fulfilled the order by the chief commander of Ukraine’s armed forces Viktor Yanukovich,” he added.

The move comes after the Navy command resigned Friday. Self-appointed President Aleksandr Turchinov made Rear Admiral Denis Berezovsky the new Navy Chief, a statement published on the President’s website Saturday said.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the Prime Minister of Ukraine had earlier asked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to let the frigate through the Bosporus strait, according to the Kiev Times. The ship captain and the head of Ukraine’s contingent in the operation, Rear Admiral Andrey Tarasov disobeyed orders from Kiev.

The Hetman Sahaidachny returns to Sevastopol, Crimea after taking part in a joint counter-piracy operation with NATO and the EU off the Horn of Africa, reported UNN on Friday, citing Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. On February 26, after crossing the Suez Canal, the ship entered the Mediterranean Sea and was expected to be in Sevastopol in early March.

Imam Ali (a.s) said : "An Un-Islamic Government may last a while, Tyranny cannot Endure".

Imam Ali (A.S) said : "No Wealth like Intelligence and No Poverty harsher than Ignorance".

I tell Barak, and this is my new pledge, your five divisions will be crushed on our mountains, valleys, houses and villages and with them, your usurping entity will be destroyed. Mofaz, Barak, (Chief of Staff Gabi) Ashkenazi and others are speaking about a swift and successful war, but I tell them that, even though we hate to see this war happening, our next victory will be definite, unequivocally decisive and crystal clear. This army will see in the battlefields, in the eyes of the resistance fighters and in their fists, things they have never seen since the establishment of the Zionist entity, God willing.” Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

This is a deliberate provocation undertaken by EU and US. As they want Ukraine to be a part of EU/NATO, that they may deploy the ABM-Shield at Russia's door-step. That is why they went full throttle in their support for pro-EU Ukrainians to over throw President of Ukraine - Viktor Yanukovych. Using Yanukovych's trade agreement with Russia as a pretext for a violent and bloody revolt.

They don't want peace and calm in the world, as this would allow Russia and China to grow stronger, both economically and militarily. Hence the Ossentian Crisis that dragged Russia into a war with that stupid country (Georgia). As well as, the Daiyu Island dispute, which dragging China lock horns with Japan. This is the grand strategy go those who control the Western World, to weaken their opponents by proxy.

I hope Russia gives the EU/NATO a bloody nose, just the way they did in the South Ossetian conflict, where Georgia played the role of the West's dog who was ordered to bark at Russia. The hegemonic ways of EU, US and the Western World at large, must be put an end to. They (West) didn't get this planet in inheritance!

........ when the first drop of a Munafiq's blood drops in the Kaa'bah ........

........ the Black Flags Army shall rise from Khurasan and commence its earth rumbling march toward Damishque. Any force that tries to come in its path, shall be destroyed with ruthless destruction. Awaiting, upon reaching Damishque, the safron and beads of pearls and the Black Turban that shall lead the Salah of Fajr .........

........ the stones and trees of Lud shall cry out to the Black Flags and tell them of the Munafiqs, Yahuds and Kuffar that are hiding behind them, to come and kill them. That day shall be the day of reckoning, the day of justice, the day when no power shall hold and unfair advantage. The battle shall be fought and won by way of faith ........

Interests:I am an engineer by profession. My interests include astronomy, aviation, world development and music.

Location:Canada

Posted 02 March 2014 - 11:12 PM

dizasta, its not like the russians are do-gooders either

they have been just as bad during their conflict in chechenya,

No country is an angel when it comes to interests. Big ones can just throw heavier punches and stop other big guys from interfering.

I wish people all around the world could get on with just living and trying to make something genuine of themselves rather than having to get dragged into political egos and machiavelian trysts at a grand scale.

^^ My friend, you have yet to fully grasp what's at play here. Take step back and you may just be able to is the bigger picture.

........ when the first drop of a Munafiq's blood drops in the Kaa'bah ........

........ the Black Flags Army shall rise from Khurasan and commence its earth rumbling march toward Damishque. Any force that tries to come in its path, shall be destroyed with ruthless destruction. Awaiting, upon reaching Damishque, the safron and beads of pearls and the Black Turban that shall lead the Salah of Fajr .........

........ the stones and trees of Lud shall cry out to the Black Flags and tell them of the Munafiqs, Yahuds and Kuffar that are hiding behind them, to come and kill them. That day shall be the day of reckoning, the day of justice, the day when no power shall hold and unfair advantage. The battle shall be fought and won by way of faith ........

Interests:I am an engineer by profession. My interests include astronomy, aviation, world development and music.

Location:Canada

Posted 03 March 2014 - 01:31 AM

All I'm saying is there are no saints in this world.

The EU/US can poke/prod all they want and the Bear is responding now. Putins fed up, he's going to go on the offensive.

It's all the same thing that has happened in history again and again. Humans are still tribal primitives in mindset, except we carry bigger sticks now...much bigger. But not a speck of wisdom to know how to actually wield the stick.

Do you really think the average Russian wants to part away with his hard earned cash to support some notion of a Soviet empire? Or to take the US/EU down a notch someway because he has the moral high ground for some reason?

Or how about an American worker, does he really want yet another conflict with another country, that too one that can actually swing back hard? Does he really want to make his life even harder to support some politicians ego about thumping the bad guys or settling an old score?

How much time does the average citizen of any country spend thinking about how he is going to teach another country a lesson?

People want to get on with their lives and be left alone in peace. This is too much for politicians to handle, they want everything to be about them...after all its why they became politicians in the first place.

And we become their pawns and playthings again and again...because as normal as our lives are, we seek something bigger and look not past the facade of how it presents itself.

I think you need to step back and see the bigger picture.

Like I said, no country or society in this world today is truly civilised to see beyond power, fear and greed. So we invent cultures and differences to cling onto the tribe mentality as hard as we can at some primeval level.

Its too bad, humanity might have a chance if it can let go of this chalice of poison it refuses to relinquish.

The great thinkers and leaders of which we have had many, have shown us the right path to the kingdom of heaven, yet we refuse to take it....we much prefer our base instincts we inherit when man lived in caves and sheltered from wild animals.

Its like our species is suffering from alzheimers, how it forgets so easily what true war means, how much it hurts everyone...or maybe we know but we enjoy it, in some sado-masochistic desire.

Its a sad but intriguing spectacle to see us wallow in this cesspool of utter loathing for others of our kind...how something of such beauty as the human mind can be equally evil and destructive...the ultimate irony of our very existence.

SIMFEROPOL, March 2 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian servicemen stationed in Crimea are leaving en masse their military units and handing over weaponry and arsenals to local pro-Russia authorities and militia, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported Sunday.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry immediately denied the report, which was also circulated by other Russian media, calling it “a provocation.”

The ministry said in a statement that despite the attempts of “armed men” to take control of the military units stationed on the Crimean peninsula, their personnel refused to surrender and remained loyal to Kiev authorities.

Crimea, an autonomous republic within Ukraine, is now at the center of the ongoing crisis in the country as pro-Russia groups move to distance themselves from a reformed national parliament that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych a week ago.

The current development comes shortly after Russia’s upper house of parliament unanimously approved a request from President Vladimir Putin on Saturday to deploy military forces in Ukraine’s mainly ethnic Russian-populated region of Crimea.

Putin issued his request in response to what he said was a threat to the lives of Russian citizens and military forces located in naval bases in Crimea.

Putin, who is the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces, has not yet ordered the deployment of a “limited military contingent” in Ukraine, but said in telephone conversations with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US President Barack Obama early on Sunday that Moscow reserved the right to protect its own interests and those of Russian speakers in the event of violence breaking out in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

There is already a substantial Russian military presence in southern Ukraine, courtesy of the leased Black Sea Fleet naval base in the Crimean Peninsula.

Large movements of Russian troops have been reported around the peninsula, which is in defiance of express instructions from Ukrainian authorities this week for Russian soldiers to remain confined to their quarters.

Meanwhile, thousands of pro-Moscow protesters staged a number of rallies in eastern Ukraine on Saturday backing the anti-Kiev stance of the Crimean population and calling for Russia to defend them as well.

New authorities in Kiev have already responded to Russia’s plans by putting the army on high alert and calling up all military reserves.

Kiev has also appealed to NATO on Saturday" with a request to consider all options to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.”

The North Atlantic Council, NATO’s main governing body, is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to discuss events in Ukraine, the military bloc’s secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said in his Twitter blog.

Interests:I am an engineer by profession. My interests include astronomy, aviation, world development and music.

Location:Canada

Posted 03 March 2014 - 02:17 AM

prevent ukraine?

obviously a good number of ukrainians in the west welcome the US/EU along with ukrainian rather than russian heritage. And a good number of Russian-Ukrainians in the east absolutely hate that idea.

Why are there Russians in Ukraine to begin with? Soviet empire. The Russians have had a mistrust, even a special hatred sometimes for the Ukrainians ever since the days of Kievan Rus....heck Stalin even starved the majority of the Ukraine on purpose to make them fall in line and submit. Why do you think many Ukrainians welcomed the nazis as liberators?...only to realise they got rid of one genocidal maniac for another?

Then the Soviet Union forced Russianization on the Ukraine, all semblance of Ukrainian culture and heritage was meticulously suppresed, even destroyed.

So don't give me the old claptrap of no notion of Soviet empire....many Russians yearn for it, and want any country around them that has a large Russian populace (a vestige of the USSR) to submit again on account of that.

Putin is just playing the popularity card very well...and why not. People are obviously so in love with their culture's superiority that they will get to the brink of war over it.

And the native pure blood Ukranians are no better, biting at every opportunity to knock the Russians down a peg....they had a good chance at genuine national unity under yuschenko, timoshenko and the other power-mongerors....and they squandered it and alienated the Russian-Ukrainians to no end. Fight fire with fire they did, forced ukrainisation, jumping into the anti-russia bandwagon blindly and not understanding the suppresion of a large minority carries consequences.

They became the very thing to the Russians that the Russians were to them in the good ole USSR days. Fight former viciousness with equal part viciousness today, that always works right? Well now you have what naturally rises up from that condition, just like the orange revolution earlier from the other side. Its like the Ukraine is a mirror that cant see its own reflection.

Again, no one is the good guy here....everyone just wants to seem like they are the good guy and justify what they do through a narrow filtered view of history and reality.

These backyard NATO bitches you are complaining about, they are what kept the USSR's paws off from raiding or even invading Pakistan and doing to your women and children what they did to many Chechen women and children, which bear not thinking about.

Remember that next time you are so eager to praise Russian actions here. They are capable of the greatest cruelties like anyone else.

Krad the problem is that although your view on the human mentality is true, sadly it will never change.

As far as Ukraine is concerned, well it turns out that the ethnic Russian population of Ukraine 'betrayed' their passport perhaps; their loyalty was always with the Russian motherland. Ukraine was never shaped properly perhaps, I mean the country should have been shaped in such a manner that only the ethnic Ukrainians should have held the reigns of the country.......what is the use if almost all of the eastern part of the country has loyalty to Russia rather than the state of Ukraine?

In order to avert an armed conflict, the ethnic Ukrainians should re-define the borders of their country and consolidate the Western and and Central part of Ukraine; simultaneously they should join the European Union. The eastern part of the country and Crimean region is now lost...this is something they should accept and without an armed conflict they can forget of reclaiming it back....even with an armed conflict the result will be similar to what happened to Georgia (South Ossetia succession).

These backyard NATO bitches you are complaining about, they are what kept the USSR's paws off from raiding or even invading Pakistan and doing to your women and children what they did to many Chechen women and children, which bear not thinking about.

USSR had no plans to invade Pakistan before you rattle on about the warm water conjecture.

what stopped the russians in afghanistan was muslim mujahideen prepared to face ( and they did ) the russian Mi 24 barefoot with a bolt action rifle and not the NATO bit.ch armies who were ( and still are ) scared shi,tless of russia .

please get your facts correct and stay on topic without dragging chechnya and ukraine history

There was confusion, too, on the ground. Inside the base at Feodosia, word came that the order had come from Kiev that all marines should give up their weapons voluntarily to the Russians. One of the marines then read on Facebook that the news was apparently fake, and rushed off to inform his superiors who were in negotiations with Russians. Many of the marines were on the phone to friends at other bases, asking whether they had been forced to give up their weapons.

Russian state media reported widespread desertions to the Crimean forces. It was difficult to verify whether this really was happening. Even an official representative of the Ukrainian defence ministry seemed unclear. Ruslan Semenyuk said: "I don't know of any cases where soldiers have voluntarily given up their arms, but there is one base where the Russians seized the weapons, and then moved them to another Ukrainian base. We don't know why they did this, maybe just as a display of force. About other cases, I don't know."

At Feodosia, the Russians came back, led by a lieutenant-general and a retired general, for more talks. After meeting the commanders, a group of three dozen officers assembled to be briefed by the Russians. The Guardian was asked to leave the room during the talks, as the Russians refused to speak in front of journalists. Afterwards, the Ukrainians said they had again been asked, "firmly but politely" to give up their weapons, and had again refused.

One marine, carrying his kalashnikov through the grounds of the base late in the evening, did not want to be identified but was happy to share his allegiances.

Asked what would happen if, next time, the Russians came with orders rather than requests, the men claimed to have no doubt. "I am Russian myself, I was born there," he said. "But we are professional soldiers and we have given an oath of duty. We will not give up this place without a fight.

Crimea has already been lost......not only Crimea but most of the eastern part of Ukraine. My friend currently in Luhansk for example sent me pictures, all the people are out on the streets waving Russian flags.....

NATO vs Russia, both as evil as the other. I hope both bleed each other to death, so we can have a more peaceful world.

This is the flag of Islam, for you cannot separate the Muslim league from Islam. Many people misunderstand us when we talk of Islam, particularly our Hindu friends. When we say this flag is the flag of Islam, they think that we are introducing religion into politics, A FACT OF WHICH WE ARE PROUD. Islam gives us a complete code. It is not only a religion, but it contains laws, philosophy and politics. It contains everything that matters to a man from morning to night. When we talk of Islam, we take it as an all embracing word.

- Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (11th January 1938)

Let us go back to our holy book, the Quran. Let us revert to the Hadeeth and the the great traditions of Islam which have everything in them for our guidance if we correctly interpret them and follow our great Holy book, the Quran.

- Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (6th March 1946)

"It is my strong belief, that there is no ideology which is more democratic, enlightened and progressive than Islam."

US President Barack Obama has warned Russia that any military intervention in Ukraine would lead to unspecified “costs.”

The US is consulting with its EU partners on potential costs.

Obama made an unexpected appearance in the White House briefing room to try to head off Russia after reports that armed men had taken over two airports in the Crimea region of southern Ukraine.

“We are now deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine,” he told reporters.

Obama said any violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be “deeply destabilising.”

“The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine,” he said.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier remained cautious about the situation in Ukraine.

“The latest signs still leave me worried, so we are keeping working to ensure a peaceful transition,” he said. “And this transition has to be achieved, first of all, by the Ukrainians themselves,” continued Steinmeier.

Euronews correspondent Stefan Grobe said: “Americans and Europeans are seeing the unfolding events in Ukraine with grave concern, especially the situation in Crimea. But the overall message is: There is no reason to panic – at least for now.”

Hakim Bey: Don't just survive while waiting for someone's revolution to clear your head
Napoleon Bonaparte: The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people!

Hakim Bey: Don't just survive while waiting for someone's revolution to clear your head
Napoleon Bonaparte: The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people!

Well this complicates the American wihdrawal from Afghanistan even more. The troops and equipment has to be taken out. If the US grills Putin too much, they can shut down the northern supply route. Then all there is left is the Pakistani route.

The europeans can't do much either - most of europes energy comes from russia. Germany now has a direct under sea pipeline link with Russia.

On paper at least the Ukrainian military looks credible, though it is numerically inferior to the Russian armed forces - Moscow having about four times as many active troops and twice as many tanks as Kiev.

On the face of things if Russia were to move into eastern Ukraine then the Ukrainian forces should be able to put up a better performance than tiny Georgia's armed forces did when the Russians moved onto the offensive in 2008.

But in reality Ukraine's military is dispersed; it lacks readiness; and much of its equipment is in storage.

Given the divisions inside the country, there must also be question marks about the loyalty of elements of the Ukrainian military to the new interim political authorities in Kiev.

Elite forces

Russia in contrast has been exercising some 150,000 troops in military districts bordering eastern Ukraine.

It can also draw upon specialised capable units like the 7th Guards Airborne Division based at Novorossisk; a variety of special forces formations; and potentially it could deploy elite Interior Ministry forces whose training and equipment might be ideally suited to this kind of mission.

The Ukrainian military inherited a significant quantity of former Soviet equipment at independence.

It is thus in many ways a smaller mirror image of the Russian forces, similarly equipped but having had very little money to modernise over the course of subsequent decades.

It has had some limited, small-scale experience in Nato operations. Its force structure has been modernised to a certain extent. But it is far from cutting edge with much of its equipment moth-balled or poorly maintained.

Ukraine is also on its own. It is certainly a partner-country of Nato but it has none of the security guarantees that membership of the Atlantic Alliance would bring. There is simply no question of Nato becoming militarily involved in this crisis.

Russia was from the outset in the driving seat in the Crimea. Its deployments there dwarf Ukraine's limited forces in the region.

Russian reinforcements

While the Black Sea Fleet itself is now rather out-dated and in any case one of Russia's smaller naval forces, its military bases there gave it more than sufficient manpower to take over key installations and blockade Ukrainian units inside their bases.

Over the past few days Russian reinforcements have been arriving but Moscow retains the option of sending in many more units if any actual fighting breaks out.

So far Russia's military operation has been largely blood-less. Its forces have met with only some passive resistance from Ukrainian units who can do very little.

Perhaps the initial military phase of this crisis is largely at an end. However if Russian troops were to move into eastern Ukraine it could take this drama to a whole new level.

It is not so much that there would be full-scale mechanised warfare - though clearly some Ukrainian units might fight.

The greater danger is that such a move could prompt a bitter civil struggle with pro- and anti-Russian groups mobilising against each other.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has told Ukrainian forces in Crimea to surrender by 3am or face a military assault. Follow the latest updates here

Latest

17.32 Some more information from Raf Sanchez on the US's decision to cancel its presidential delegation to Sochi:

The US has cancelled its presidential delegation to the Paralympics in Sochi in protest at Russia's intervention in Crimea. While American athletes will still take part, the six-person delegation, led by Tammy Duckworth, a Congresswoman who lost both legs in Iraq, will no longer attend.

"In addition to other measures we are taking in response to the situation in Ukraine, the United States will no longer send a Presidential Delegation to the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi,” said Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council.

17.28 According to Reuters, the European Union will consider "targeted measures" against Russia if tensions do not start easing in Ukraine's Crimea region.

France's foreign minister, Laurent Fabius said that the EU wanted to see a de-escalation - meaning a return of Russian troops to their bases in Crimea - between now and Thursday.

"If there is not in the coming hours a very quick de-escalation, then we will decide concrete measures such as the suspension of all talks on visas, suspension of economic agreements and concretely that means that ties will be cut on lot of subjects,"

"There could be targeted measures and that can also affect people, officials and their assets,"

"We are extremely worried. The general tone is that the Russians appear to have decided to go even further. Europe must be firm."

When asked whether the EU could put sanctions on Russian individuals, including Putin, Fabius said there was a precedent last week when the EU agreed to sanction former Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovich and officials close to him.

"Similar decisions could be taken,"

17.25 Unidentified soldiers are pictured blocking the Ukrainian naval base in the village of Novoozerne, near Simferopol

17.15 BREAKING: Our man in Moscow Howard Amos says that the Russian government has denied reports of an ultimatum issued to the Ukraine:

The Russian Defense Ministry has dismissed claims that an ultimatum to surrender has been issued to Ukrainian armed forces in Crimea.

A Defense Ministry spokesperson described the reports of an ultimatum as “complete nonsense,” according to Russian business daily Vedomosti.

17.09 According to Reuters, the White House has said it will no longer send a presidential delegation to the Paralympic Games in Sochi in protest at the situation in Ukraine.

16.56 Ukrainian soldiers pictured standing behind a fence while unidentified armed men block the headquarters of the Ukrainian Navy in Sebastopol

16.52 Russian news channel RT is reporting that 400 kilos of explosives and arms have been seized from Kiev activists on the Crimean border.

TNT was confiscated as well as grenades, rifles and guns

16.49 Bruno Waterfield has some more information about the EU foreign ministers who are still debating how to approach Russia:

EU foreign ministers are debating whether to explicitly warn Russia that unless it pulls back then sanctions will follow.

The square brackets indicate where the debate lies - with splits over how strong the EU's language should be.

“[In the absence of de-escalating steps by Russia] The EU has decided to suspend bilateral talks with the Russian authorities on visa matters, as well as on the New Agreement,[ including modernisation and sectorial cooperation dialogue.],” the draft EU text says.

“In the absence of an agreed solution, the EU will [consider][begin preparations] for future targeted measures], [including an arms embargo].”

16.45 Here is some more from our man Damien McElroy about that Russian ultimatum to Ukraine:

The head of the media-centre for the Ministry of Defence in Crimea, Vladyslav Seleanyov, confirmed the ultimatum to BBC Ukraine.

He said: "I spoke to the officers of the Ukrainian fleet. Vice-admiral of Russian fleet Alexander Vitko gave them the ultimatum. He demands either to surrender all the weapons or to take Russian side in the conflict.

Otherwise they are threatening to attack"

16.40 According to Reuters the speaker of Russia's lower parliament house said earlier today that "for now, there is no need" to send the Russian armed forces into Ukraine.

On Saturday Vladimir Putin secured the parliament's permission to use the military in Ukraine if he wishes, citing the need to protect Russians.

State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin told the state-run Rossiya-24 television in an interview:

"The decision ... only gives the right (to use the armed forces), which can be exercised in case of necessity; for now there is no need."

16.35 The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an open meeting on the crisis in Ukraine next Monday. It will be the third meeting of the Security Council since last Friday, but the first open meeting that is not confined to the 15 council members.

16.24 Here is another picture of Putin with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and head of the Russian army's main department of combat preparation Ivan Buvaltsev watching military exercises.

Before now Putin hadn't been seen since Russian troops entered Crimea.

16.14 The Evening Standard is reporting that the price of bread could soar because of the Ukraine crisis.

16.12 Here is an interesting fact found on Twitter:

16.06 Vladimir Putin has been attending the final day of military exercises. He watched armoured tanks and vehicles at the Kirillovsky training ground outside Vyborg, a town on Russia's border with Finland.

He smiled as he walked towards the command centre where he watched tanks, barely visible in thick fog, and listened to artillery fire.

It is the first sighting of Putin in several days.

16.02 According to Reuters Russia has said that NATO's criticism of its actions in Crimea region will not help stabilise the situation in Ukraine:

"We believe that such a position will not help stabilise the situation in Ukraine and only encourages those forces that would like to use the current events to achieve their irresponsible political goals," the Russian foreign ministry said.

15.55 CBS journalist Erin Lyall has seen officers' wives at a Ukrainian base making a human shield to prevent a Russian invasion:

15.52: The Reuters report on the Russian ultimatum appears to have originated from Interfax Ukraine - it is NOT confirmed as yet.

15.29 Some more information from Bruno Waterfield on the earlier meeting with EU foreign ministers which resulted in a draft text being drawn up:

The draft EU text, seen by the Telegraph, warns Russia that its use of armed forces in Crimea are in “clear breach” “of the UN Charter and the OSCE Helsinki Final Act, as well as of Russia's specific commitments to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity under the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 and the bilateral Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership of 1997.”

“The EU calls on Russia to immediately withdraw its armed forces to the areas of their permanent stationing, in accordance with the Agreement on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet stationing on the territory of Ukraine of 1997."

15.25: More on that ultimatum: This from Reuters:

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has told Ukrainian forces in Crimea to surrender by 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Tuesday or face a military assault, Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Ukrainian Defence Ministry as saying.

The ultimatum, Interfax said, was issued by Alexander Vitko, the fleet's commander.

The ministry did not immediately confirm the report and there was no immediate comment by the Black Sea Fleet, which has a base in Crimea, where Russian forces are in control.

"If they do not surrender before 5 a.m. tomorrow, a real assault will be started against units and divisions of the armed forces across Crimea," the agency quoted the ministry source as saying.

15.14 This photo from Donetsk shows riot police standing in line in front of pro-Russian protesters, who are trying to occupy the regional administration building.

15.03 AFP is reporting the strong response from Russia to warnings by United States Secretary of State John Kerry over military intervention in Ukraine.

Mr Kerry, who is set to visit Kiev on Tuesday to meet the new leadership, warned Russia on Sunday that it risked exclusion from the Group of Eight nations and faced possible sanctions for sending troops into Ukraine's southern Crimea region.

In a statement on its website Russia's foreign ministry said:

"We consider the threats against Russia made in a series of public statements by US Secretary of State John Kerry over the latest events in Ukraine and in Crimea to be unacceptable,"

Moscow accused Kerry of relying on "Cold War cliches", saying that he had not bothered to understand the complex processes taking place in Ukrainian society.

Kerry failed to "objectively assess the situation that is continuing to deteriorate after the forcible seizure of power in Kiev by radical extremists," the ministry said.

It accused the United States and its allies of turning a blind eye to the "rampant Russophobia and anti-Semitism" of the opposition protesters who took power in Kiev.

"The West's allies now are outright neo-Nazis who wreck Orthodox churches and synagogues," the ministry said.

15.00 Mr Lavrov also called on Ukraine to revert to the agreement signed by Viktor Yanukovich on February 21 which aimed to end the political crisis.

Lavrov said Yanukovych respected the agreement, but the opposition "did nothing."

"The illegal arms have not been relinquished, the government buildings and streets of Kiev have not been completely freed, radicals maintain control of cities.

"Instead of a promised national unity government a 'government of the victors' has been created."

14.45 A little bit more from Russia's Foreign Secretary Sergei Lavrov who has justified Russian troops entering Crimea as a necessary protection for Russian citizens living there. He told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva:

"We are talking here about protection of our citizens and compatriots, about protection of the most fundamental of the human rights - the right to live, and nothing more"

"Those who are trying to interpret the situation as a sort of aggression and threatening us with sanctions and boycotts, these are the same partners who have been consistently and vigorously encouraging the political powers close to them to declare ultimatums and renounce dialogue,"

"We call upon them to show a responsibility and to set aside geopolitical calculations and put the interests of the Ukrainian people above all."

14.37 Reuters has some powerful eyewitness information from Donetsk where pro-Russian demonstrators occupied the first floor of the regional government building.

A Reuters reporter in a press centre on the fourth floor of the building said the protesters had seized the first floor but were unable to go higher because lifts were disabled and stairwell doors shut.

The 11-storey building has been flying the Russian flag, rather than the Ukrainian flag, for three days, with demonstrators carrying Russian flags staging rallies outside.

A Reuters photographer said several hundred protesters, waving Russian flags and shouting "Putin, come!", had managed to enter the regional government building through a side door after confronting police who guarded the main entrance. Windows were broken on the second floor as protesters tried to get to higher floors.

The Donetsk protest leader, Pavel Gubarev, demanded the parliament in Kiev be declared illegitimate, a pro-Russian governor be accepted in Donetsk and all security forces be put under regional command.

The Donetsk regional authorities have already voted to hold a referendum on the status of the region, which Kiev has branded illegal.

14.30 Christiane Amanpour has the first interview with former Ukraine prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko which will air tonight on CNN

14.17 Our correspondant in Brussels Bruno Waterfield has more from the EU discussions on Ukraine:

EU foreign ministers are discussing whether to call Russia’s seizure of Crimea an “invasion” or a “clear violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Ukraine.

The decision will have a major bearing on how the EU approaches its biggest foreign policy challenge since the Balkans war of the early 1990s.

EU foreign ministers will warn Russia that unless it pulls back then sanctions will follow.

14.11 Here is the full story on German chancellor Angela Merkel's comments that Vladimir Putin has 'lost touch with reality'.

German newspaper Bild wrote that she had complained to Barack Obama that Mr Putin was "living in another world".

14.07 We have put together a gallery of photos from the conflict so far

14.05 Some powerful images coming through from Lithuania where demonstrators have gathered outside the Russian Embassy in Vilnius to protest against Russian intervention in Ukraine

Demonstrators gather outside the Russian Embassy in Vilnius (AP)

13.57 Here is some more information from our man Damien in Kiev on Hague:

The Foreign Secretary reported that the Ukrainian officials he had met believed that Russia had opened a new front in its aggressive moves to unsettle Ukraine's new administration with helicopter incursions on Monday on the northern border with Belarus. He said:

"They are concerned on an hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute basis with the situation in Crimea and about other provocations - reports for example today of Russian helicopters flying over the border, along the border, of Ukraine and Belarus.

"They are deeply unhappy about what amounts to the loss of control over Crimea and they are finding the lack of direct communications with Russia to be a huge problem."

13.50 Keir Giles, an asociate fellow at Chatham House, said that Russia will take "whatever it can" from the situation.

"Russia learned from the armed conflict in Georgia in 2008 that use of military force against neighbours can swiftly achieve foreign policy objectives at little long-term strategic cost.

"In Crimea in 2014, Russia has once again solved a problem in a way which most of the West found unimaginable in advance and unpalatable after the fact. But the rest of the world has little leverage to deter or punish Moscow.

"The West can scold Russia and cancel summits, but Moscow has at no time considered words of outrage to be a response which needs to be taken into consideration."

13.45 Meanwhile life goes on in the village of Perevalnoye despite the surreal standoff between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

A woman and child go about their daily business in the village of Perevalnoye (Reuters)

13.40 Our man in Kiev, Damien, says that Hague has given his backing to the establishment of a monitoring force to investigate allegations that revolutionary forces are attacking the Russian population. Hague said:

"Yes there is a good case for international monitoring of the situation given that allegations have been made by Russia about what's happening in Ukraine," he said. "I think this is very important for the world to be able to see the facts. Of course the OSCE are taking this up."

Reports from eastern Ukraine had so far failed to bear out the Russian claims. He said: "I haven't had any credible reports of domestic agitation of this kind."

Mr Hague warned that the crisis remained far from any turning point, saying Moscow was yet to signal its readiness to pursue a diplomatic outcome either with the new Ukraine leadership or Western states. "There has be no signal from Moscow nor any sign of a change in policy. There are no grounds for optimism for a change in the Russian position."

13.20 Lord Ashdown has called the situation, "a mistake away from conflict'

13.16 Here is some video footage of William Hague speaking at the press conference this morning alongside Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk

13.09 This just in from Damien McElroy on those demonstrators in Donetsk:

Reports coming through that shots had been fired when at least 100 demonstrators waving Russian flags stormed into a government building in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, and occupied at least one floor of the building.

Itar-Tass news agency says there are no police on the scene. The 11-storey building has been flying the Russian flag, rather than the Ukrainian flag, for three days. No reports of any injuries.

13.03 More from Bruno Waterfield in Brussels on what the EU could do:

This is what we're expecting out of the meeting of EU foreign ministers as the talks begin.

The focus will be on condemnation of Russia and keeping the door of diplomacy open. EU will back OSCE or UN led mediation between Ukraine and Russia. There will be an implied threat of costs and measures if Russia does not cooperate.

EU is expected to agree the broad detail of asset freeze sanctions aimed at the old Ukrainian regime on the basis of helping the new Kiev government recover money siphoned out of the country.

This will be on the basis of a list provided by Ukraine and could include Yanukovych, his son, up to 20 senior officials.

12.57 European Union foreign ministers are currently working on the joint response to Russia's military incursion in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula that could include economic sanctions.

AP says the 28 foreign ministers are currently holding an emergency meeting.

Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said sanctions against Russia are an "option" that will be discussed. Several other ministers, however, cautioned the focus for now should be on diplomacy and forging a direct dialogue between Russia and the new leadership in Ukraine to deescalate the situation.

Spain's foreign minister, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, said discussions are also underway on convening an emergency summit of EU leaders Thursday.

12.50 AP has words from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who is justifying the use of Russian troops in Crimea.

"This is a question of defending our citizens and compatriots, ensuring human rights, especially the right to life," Lavrov said.

"Those who are trying to interpret the situation as a sort of aggression and threatening sanctions and boycotts, these are the same partners of ours who have consistently encouraged their political forces in the ultimatum to refuse dialogue and ultimately have polarized Ukrainian society. We call upon them to show a responsibility and to set aside geopolitical calculations and put the interests of the Ukrainian people above all."

12.45 Reports now that Moscow stock markets have plunged up to 13.5%. That's a big hit and if you want to know more about the financial effects of this crisis we are running a parallel live blog here with our colleagues in the City department giving expert analysis.

12.38 This video can't be independently verified, but according to Buzzfeed, pro-Kremlin accounts on Twitter say it shows anti-Kiev protestors breaking into the Donetsk government building:

12.29 More from Ban Ki-Moon who has called on Russia to avoid action. Ahead of his meeting with Sergei Lavrov he said:

"It is critical to ensure full respect for and the preservation of Ukraine's independence, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity,"

"It is now of the utmost importance to restore calm and to de-escalate tensions immediately through dialogue," he said, urging Russia to "start to engage constructively and through peaceful means with Ukraine".

11.59 More information is filtering through from the press conference Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk held earlier alongside William Hague, when he admitted that at the moment there was no discussion of military intervention.

"Any attempt of Russia to grab Crimea will have no success at all. Give us some time," Mr Yatsenyuk said.

"For today, no military options (are) on the table," he said, adding that what they urgently need is an economic and political support.

"Real support. Tangible support. And we do believe that our Western partners will provide this support," he said.

11.55 Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General, has said that he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today and will take the opportunity to ask him to refrain from any acts of rhetoric that will further escalate the situation on the ground.

He added that it was important that the situation is resolved and calm is restored through dialogue.

11.50 More on the troops flowing into Crimea.

AFP adds: Over the last 24 hours, 10 Russian combat helicopters and eight military cargo planes have landed on the Black Sea peninsula, Ukraine border guards said in a statement, while four Russian warships have been in the port of Sevastopol since Saturday.

11.43 Bruno Waterfield has sent us an update from Brussels. He reports:

Germany has signalled support for OSCE "fact finding" mission to Crimea as alternative to "escalation" as EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels.

"We are considering whether it wouldn't make good sense to create transparency about what is happening on the ground in eastern Ukraine and Crimea instead of being dependent on rumours," said Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign ministers, on arrival in Brussels.

Berlin has come together with Washington on the idea of the OSCE role, which is amlost certain to become a key part of the EU's response but Germany is still keen to take a more conciliatory role than the US on sanctions.

Mr Steinmeier is stressing the need for diplomacy in a stark contrast to Kiev, where the the Russian seizure of Crimea has been described as a declaration of war.

"Crisis diplomacy is not a weakness but it will be more important than ever to not fall into the abyss of military escalation," he said.

A clergyman walks by as military personnel ®, believed to be Russian servicemen, stand guard as Ukrainian servicemen are seen behind the gate outside Simferopol (Reuters)

11.40 The German Government seems to be warning against military action in an attempt to bring the increasingly volatile situation back form the brink.

A spokesman for Angela Merkel has told reporters that it is not too late to resolve the crisis by political means, while Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the foreign minister, has said that the situation must be resolved through diplomacy and leaders must not fall into the abyss of military escalation.

11.33 As the tensions between Russia and the West continue to rise, the Washington Post has taken a look back at the New York Times op-ed Vladimir Putin wrote a year ago when he was facing the possibility of American military intervention in Syria.

His claims that decisions on war and peace “should happen only be consensus” are now “jarring”, the paper points out.

11.30 Dramatic AFP news agency alert just coming in:

Russian troops flowing into Crimea: Ukraine border guards

11.26 Former British foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind states what many are now saying on Twitter

11.20 William Hague has been speaking in Kiev, and has warned Russia of "consequences and costs" after pro-Kremlin forces appeared to have taken control of Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.

"It is not an acceptable way to behave and there will be consequences and costs," he said two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin got the green light to send Russian troops to Ukraine from parliament.

11.15 Outside the city of Kharkov lies a Soviet-era tank graveyard, crammed with row upon row of rusted relics as a reminder of the areas military past. To see fascinating pictures of the graveyard have a look at our gallery.

A man walks past flowers placed at a memorial for people killed in clashes with the police at Kiev's Independence Square (AP)

11.02 Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk has fought back against the bloodless invasion of Crimea, saying that his country will never give up on the Black Sea peninsula despite the fact that most believe it is now completely under Russian control.

Yatseniuk has told reporters: "No one will give up Crimea to anyone."

A map showing countries to which Russia has sent troops since the fall of the Soviet Union #infographic pic.twitter.com/q8cZ8scyI3

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) March 3, 2014

10.55 Russia has announced that it is investigating the leader of a Ukrainian far-right group that clashed with riot police at Kiev protests for allegedly inciting acts of "terror" in Russia.

The powerful Investigative Committee said in a statement that it was seeking the arrest of the leader of the shadowy Right Sector paramilitary group, Dmytro Yarosh.

Investigators will shortly ask a court to arrest Yarosh in absentia and then put him on the international wanted list, it added.

If convicted of making calls to commit terrorist acts, Yarosh could face up to seven years in prison.

The country's communications watchdog has also blocked access to 13 Ukrainian nationalist communities on the country's most popular social networking site, VKontakte, over "direct calls to carry out terrorist activity and take part in unsanctioned mass rallies including in Moscow."

Yarosh's page was among those blocked, news agencies reported.

10.50 Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the building of a 4.5 kilometre bridge connecting Russia with Crimea across the Straits of Kerch, according to Russian news agencies. A new company will be created to realize the long-discussed project, which is estimated will cost about $3 billion and take about 5 years to build.

An armed man stands near a Ukrainian military base in Simferopol (Reuters)

10.45 Vladimir Putin has been compared to Adolf Hitler by a former Czech foreign minister who says he is repeating history by acting in Crimea much like the Nazi leader did in central and eastern Europe in the late 1930s.

"What's happening in Ukraine is history repeating itself," Karel Schwarzenberg said in an interview with Austrian daily Osterreich.

"Putin is acting along the same principle as Adolf Hitler" did during his invasions of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland in 1938 and 1939, he said.

"Since he wanted to invade Crimea, he needed a pretext and said that his compatriots were oppressed," the 76-year-old Schwarzenberg said, adding that Russians in Crimea, where they are a majority, were not facing any discrimination"

"When Hitler wanted to annex Austria, he said that Germans there were oppressed," he said.

Europe should "clearly tell him that this is a violation of law that will not pass," said Schwarzenberg, who served as Czech foreign minister from 2007-2009 and 2010-2013.

10.41 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that his country’s action in Ukraine is a matter of defending Russian citizens and human rights. He has claimed that 'radicals' control some Ukraine towns.

10.30 From the Crimea, our Moscow correspondent Roland Oliphant has sent this dispatch:

I'm on the road, trying to get a sense of the Russian take over. So far there is a mixed picture of resistance and surrender. the standoff at the border guards base in Perevalnoye is on going.

"They told is to lay down our arms so they can protect them from i do t know who. but we wont give them up," said a Ukrainian major at the gate. His men are surrounded, however, and by the looks of things heavily out gunned.

Elsewhere, armed Russian troops are inside the perimeter of the military airfield at Dzhonkoi in northern Crimea. The Ukrainian commander tells me about 15 armed Russians forced there way in on saturday, disabled the control tower and parked vehicles on the runway to prevent it being used. "We did not receive an order to break out our weapons, so we didn't resist," said Lt-Col Nikolai Gavrish.

The Russians left the base shortly after the daily telegraph arrived. But troops are also on patrol outside the local telecom company headquarters in the town on Dzhonkoi.

Over all, the view from Crimea is that the 'war' is over - Russian forces are in complete military control of the peninsula, and with NATO making no move to back them up, the Ukrainians know that a firefight could only end one way. Crimea now is effectively Russian territory.

Compared to the strong position taken by the US there are different geopolitical interests at play in Europe, especially for Germany.

Many in Berlin see the US is seen as too shrill, with Washington’s position born of distance from Russia and Ukraine while Germany has to deal with a situation close to its borders.

There are also economic links between Germany and Russia particularly in terms of vital Russian gas imports for German industry.

So Germany is much more pragmatic and conciliatory with a focus on keeping Russia at the diplomatic table.

During the EU talks it will be important to see how Poland, and Lithuania line up with the US or Germany as both countries feel directly threatened by Russia’s actions in Crimea.

10.10 This just in from out man in Brussels, Bruno Waterfield.

Ambassadors are holding fast-moving talks this morning.

Diplomats tell me that the EU is unlikely to back the US position on sanctions or to talk of kicking Russia out of the G8 at this stage.

There will be “only a general discussion of sanctions at this point” with EU support for bi-lateral G8 measures, the suspension of the Sochi summit preparations, said officials.

The EU could back an OSCE monitoring role, this was seen as working well in Georgia after the 2008 conflict and it is a demand that could bridge the gap between the US and Germany.

The EU focus will be on condemnation, a call for Russian withdrawal to its legally authorised Crimean bases and urging a peaceful solution under the auspices of international law.

Ukraine's acting President Turchinov meets with William Hague in Kiev this morning (Reuters)

09.58 The tension in the Ukraine has hit the markets, with global stocks taking a tumble and the price of gold and oil rising as people opt for safe investments. The FTSE opened down 1.5pc this morning, while Russia's shares have dropped. For all the latest developments follow our business news and markets live blog.

09.53 Our full report on William Hague’s comments on the crisis can be found here. He has started a series of meetings in Kiev as global diplomatic pressure ratchets up on Russia.

0947: Putin has lost touch with reality...

Ouch - damaging line here in that New York Times article.

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany told Mr.Obama by telephone on Sunday that after speaking with Mr. Putin she was not sure he was in touch with reality, people briefed on the call said. “In another world,” she said.

A woman wearing a Ukrainian flag stands at a memorial for people killed in clashes with the police at Kiev's Independence Square (AP)

09.40 A Ukrainian border guard has told Reuters that Russian ships have this morning been moving in and around the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, where the Russian Black Sea Fleet has a base, and that forces had blocked mobile telephone services in some parts of Crimea.

He said the build-up of Russian armour was near a ferry port on the Russian side of what is known as the Kerch Strait, which separates the eastern edge of the Crimea peninsula and the western edge of the Taman Peninsula.

The strait is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) wide at its narrowest point and up to 18 metres (59 feet) deep.

"There are armoured vehicles on the other side of the strait. We can't predict whether or not they will put any vehicles on the ferry," the spokesman said by telephone.

The border guard spokesman did not say how many armoured vehicles had gathered in Russian territory, opposite the city of Kerch on the Ukrainian side of the strait.

The BBC are reporting that troops have forced entry into a Navy base in the city.

There was no immediate comment from the Russian Defence Ministry.

MT @BBCOS This is a very helpful BBC explainer http://t.co/7XvfCuGvtP #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/7w1vqPt8Oc #Crimea

— Ann Shirley Finster (@annfinster) March 3, 2014

09.25 Damien McElroy, who is in Kiev for us, has sent in this report:

If there was any euphoria in Kiev at getting rid of a hated government, it's well and truly in the background now.

Ukrainian reserves have started to receive call up papers at the outset of the working week. Local reports point to a continuing build-up of Russian forces around Ukrainian controlled territory.

The corridors of the Council of Ministers, where I am now, are filled with business-minded officials rushing between meetings.

The government is on the receiving end of an influx of foreign diplomats and IMF officials as it seeks support to tide the country through its current troubles.

09.20 The situation in Ukraine has dominated the media this morning, and produced some interesting comment pieces.

Mary Dejvesky in the Independent argues that Putin's calculus over Ukraine is in part one of reflecting Russian public opinion.

"Within Russia, the popular pressure on Putin will not be for restraint, but for action. His stance reflects a domestic consensus that, while Ukraine may be independent, its natural place is within Russia’s orbit and Moscow cannot just stand by while the West conspires to snatch it away. “Who lost Ukraine?” is a question that has real potential to erode Putin’s power."

Meanwhile there is an interesting piece on Obama's dilemmas in the New York Times.

The US is intending to implement some diplomatic and economic initiatives that will “make it hurt” for Russia as one administration official put it.

In it though it mentioned this interesting read out from Obama/Putin conversations of recent days.

"But Mr. Obama offered Russia what aides called an “offramp,” a face-saving way out of the crisis, by proposing that European observers take the place of Russian forces in Crimea to guard against the supposed threats to the Russian-speaking population cited by the Kremlin as justification for its intervention."

09.13 Pro-Russian troops have taken over a ferry terminal on the easternmost tip of Crimea close to Russia, exacerbating fears that Moscow is planning to bring even more troops into this strategic Black Sea region.

Soldiers are now operating the terminal in the Ukrainian city of Kerch about 12 miles (20 kilometres) by boat to Russia.

Although the men have refused to identify themselves, they are speaking Russian and have vehicles bearing Russian plates, the Associated Press is reporting.

Troops that Ukraine says are Russian soldiers have occupied airports in Crimea, smashed equipment at an air base and besieged a Ukrainian infantry base in this peninsula.

It has been a fast developing situation since the Russian military captured the Crimean Peninsula without firing a shot, and a number of senior political figures have openly condemned their actions.

Military personnel stand outside Simferopol (Reuters)

09.00 William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said that the current situation in Ukraine is the "biggest crisis in Europe n the 21st Century" and warned that "the world cannot just allow this to happen".

Speaking to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Mr Hague said that further diplomatic measures could be taken against Russia in the coming days.

"If Russia continues on this course we have to be clear this is not an acceptable way to conduct international relations," he said. "As President Obama and the Prime Minister have said, there will be significant costs to that. That is something that Russia have to recognise."

He added: "Russia has certainly taken operational control of the Crimea...they have in effect taken control of the Crimea."

08.55 China and Russia are in broad agreement on the situation in Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry has claimed.

Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed the situation and noted "broadly coinciding points of view of Russia and China over the situation that has developed in the country and around it," the ministry said in a statement.

The top diplomats "agreed to continue close contacts on this topic," the statement said.

Russia appeared keen to stress that it has a major international ally on its military intervention in Ukraine after the other members of the G8 on Sunday released a statement condemning Russia for violating international law and suspending their participation in a G8 summit set to be held in Sochi in June.

China is not a member of the G8.

Russia has found itself internationally isolated over its covert military intervention and this morning its stocks and currency collapsed amid fears of a prolonged campaign.

China and Russia cooperated on vetoing three UN Security Council resolutions to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, although they voted through a resolution this month on allowing in humanitarian aid convoys.

08.45 Morning and welcome to our live blog on the events in Ukraine and Crimea, Russia and anywhere else that is being effected by the blowback from one of the most serious European crises for some time.

There is masses happening today but the latest breaking is:

Reuters reports Ukrainian border guards are seeing a build-up of armoured vehicles on the Russian side of a narrow sea channel dividing Russia and the Ukrainian region of Crimea. The build up near a ferry port on the Russian side of the Kerch Channel opposite the Ukrainian city of Kerch.

Meanwhile the stock exchange in Moscow doesn't like what it is seeing: AFP reports Russia's markets have dropped about 10 percent and its currency has fallen to its lowest point ever against the dollar and the euro because of the crisis.

Britain's foreign secretary William Hague is in Kiev this morning and has said this is the biggest crisis in Europe in the 21st century.

He is blaming Russia for creating a tense situation in Crimea and asked for troops to be returned to barracks.

Hakim Bey: Don't just survive while waiting for someone's revolution to clear your head
Napoleon Bonaparte: The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people!

2011 prediction - Third World War to begin during Winter Games in 2014

Hakim Bey: Don't just survive while waiting for someone's revolution to clear your head
Napoleon Bonaparte: The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people!

The head of the center for US-Russian relations at the Institute of USA and Canada, Pavel Podlesny, shared his views with Pravda.Ru of the current state of affairs in the relations between Russia and the West against the background of the situation in Ukraine.

"How would you comment the reactions to the decision of the Federation Council to deploy limited military contingent in the Crimea in Ukraine?"

"I would not hurry with the assessment of events that are far from being complete, and a lot of things here still requires careful analysis. First, Russia has not deployed additional troops, but only used the opportunities in the Crimea that it has, in particular, the opportunities associated with the Black Sea Fleet.

Secondly, it is still unknown whether Russia will send the contingent there. It depends on how the situation will unfold in the Crimea. Third, Ukraine is unlikely to do anything here in terms of any type of interference in the Crimean affairs. And I believe that it is absolutely impossible that NATO may intervene."

"The Crimean authorities say that they will negotiate with Ukraine, but they have said many times before that they refused to recognize the power in Kiev legitimate."

"With regard to the Crimean leaders, who said that they would build relations with Ukraine by means of agreements, one shall bear in mind the fact that there was referendum scheduled for May 25 about the improvement of the autonomous status of the Crimea. That is the referendum would be about the return of the constitution from 1992, when the Crimea enjoyed large autonomy, could elect its own president, and so on and so forth.

Now the situation is changing. First, the referendum was postponed till March 30. Second, if you believe what the Crimean leaders say, they will make the referendum about the state status of Crimea. In short, it can be interpreted that the referendum could raise the issue of independence of the Crimea. I think that if they do, Russia may recognize the new state. Naturally, Ukraine will not recognize that, there is nothing Ukraine can really do. If the Crimea becomes an independent state, then they will negotiate as independent states."

"What are the prospects of relations between Russia and the West in light of the current events? What Russia may experience as a result of possible sanctions from the USA and other countries that promise complete economic isolation of the Russian Federation should Russia deploy troops in the Crimea? Is there a threat of a new round of the Cold War?"

"I would not rush to make conclusions here either, except for one thing. The West does not need another "cold war" with Russia. The West does not want to see its relations with Russia in ruins. None of NATO countries will go to war with Russia because of that. I completely exclude it. Now the West plans some possible sanctions against Russia. These sanctions and their scale will depend on how the situation in Ukraine unfolds, and what further actions Russia will take.

"It is now clear that the G8 meeting in Sochi will not take place in June. Four members of the group have suspended preparations to the summit. Although Italy, Japan and Germany have not said anything on the subject. It is possible, though, that the G8 will gather for the summit somewhere else, without Russia," the expert told Pravda.Ru.

Meanwhile, the State Duma of the Russian Federation has registered a bill about the annexation of the Crimea to the Russian Federation, the Ukrainskaya Pravda reports.

The document stipulates for the "annexation of the subject based on the results of the referendum conducted in accordance with the law of a foreign state on the territory of the given part of a foreign state."

In addition, the bill says, "should a part of the foreign state be incorporated in the Russian Federation as a new entity, this territory shall be provided the status of a republic, region, territory or an autonomous region in accordance with the international agreement. If there is no international agreement to regulate the issue, the status shall be provided in accordance with the federal constitutional law about the incorporation of a new entity into the Russian Federation.

The explanatory memorandum to the bill openly mentions the Crimea

Hakim Bey: Don't just survive while waiting for someone's revolution to clear your head
Napoleon Bonaparte: The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people!

The Russians already have the Crimea, nothing the Ukrainians can do anything about. What will happen is that the Ukraine will most likely be balkanized like yugoslavia with the western population looking to the West and the Russians in the East forming an autonomous pro Russian republic.

i wonder how this will impact tank engines supplies we get from ukraine

SWEET IS SLEEP TO ME AND EVEN MORE TO BE OF STONE,WHILE THE WRONG AND SHAME ENDURE.TO BE WITHOUT SIGHT OR SENSE IS A MOST HAPPY CHANGE FOR ME,THEREFORE DO NOT ROUSE ME. HUSH! SPEAK LOW. I said to God "I hate Life" God replied "Who asked you to love life? Just Love me & life will be beautiful" Living in favorable and unfavorable conditions is PART of living. Smiling in all those conditions is ART of living."Anytime you think you need to protect God, you can be sure you're worshiping an idol"

ukraine had been openly flirting with west for a long time to join EU / nato, however the current intrusion ( not invasion ) seems to be a final move by kremlin to prevent the new pro west govt in kiev to cancel the lease of black sea fleet and eviction of around 20,000 troops from crimea and possibly replace them with NATO